Missions

The International Council of Museums works for society and its development. It is committed to ensuring the conservation, and protection of cultural goods.Establishing Standards of ExcellenceICOM sets standards for museums in design, management and collections organisation. The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums is a reference in the global museum community. Read more

Activity Report 2016

They place their trust in us

Since its creation, the International Council of Museums has been supported by institutions and organisations that share its will to protect heritage and encourage museum development. ICOM is highly grateful to its partners for their trust, loyalty and commitment. Thanks to their support, ICOM can implement, year after year, ambitious action plans and programmes across the world.

The community culture programme (2007 - 2013) funds projects and initiatives designed to give Europe’s cultural diversity pride of place and improve its common cultural heritage by developing cross-border cooperation between the players and institutions of the cultural sector. Part of the programme involves funding cultural organisations that work on the European scale or whose goal it is to do so, by providing co-funding earmarked for these organisations’ permanent activities. ICOM is delighted to have been selected by this programme in 2010 and to see the legitimacy and importance of its international action for heritage and museum professionals acknowledged at the European level.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

The U.S. Department of State has been supporting ICOM for many years in its fight against illicit traffic in cultural property. Between 2007 and 2010, its support has contributed to the creation, promotion and circulation or reprinting of six Red Lists of endangered cultural property concerning Afghanistan, Peru, Cambodia, Colombia, China, Central America and Mexico. The institution’s confidence in the effectiveness of the approach proposed by ICOM made it a key supporter of the emergency Red List projects for Iraq and Haiti. Today the State Department also funds the development of training courses in the application of the Object-ID standard in parallel with regional campaigns promoting Red Lists.

UNESCO

UNESCO has supported ICOM ever since it was established. Annual agreements provide a framework for this funding each year, and between 2007 and 2010 these agreements enabled ICOM to maintain the UNESCO-ICOM Information Centre, give certain members the opportunity to attend ICOM’s 21st General Conference in Vienna in 2007, and carry out missions and conduct workshops related mainly to risk management in museums in South East Asia and south-east Europe. Within this partnership, ICOM has also initiated special ties with the national delegations.

The Getty Foundation

The Getty Foundation has been helping ICOM and its international committees develop their activities for over 20 years. Between 2007 and 2010, the foundation made it possible for CIMAM (2007), INTERCOM (2008, 2009), ICOM-CC (2008) and CIDOC (2009) to award travel grants to museum professionals who are ICOM members and hail from developing countries, Central Europe and Eastern Europe to allow them to attend annual meetings. In 2010 the same type of grant will also be awarded for ICOM’s 22nd General Conference in Shanghai. The foundation also supported ICOM-CC in modernising its website in 2008.

French Ministry of Culture and Communication

The French Ministry of Culture and Communication (including some of the cultural institutions it manages) is a long-standing supporter of ICOM’s activities. Between 2007 and 2010, its support contributed to the publication and modernisation of the magazine ICOM News, the use of French as one of ICOM’s working languages, the maintenance of ICOM headquarters in Paris, the organisation of International Museum Day, and recently, the development of content concerning the fight against illicit traffic on ICOM’s new website.

Federal Office of Culture of the Swiss Federation

The Swiss Federal Office has been involved in ICOM’s fight against illicit traffic in cultural property since 2009. Its support was essential in launching the dual project of Red Lists for Haiti and Hispaniola Island. It also provided key support for publishing a Red List of Chinese Cultural Objects at Risk.

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

In compliance with the directives of the Swedish parliament and government, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency acts to alleviate poverty in the world by contributing towards improving the living conditions of the underprivileged. In 2007, the agency supported the publication and circulation of a handbook based on meetings and work on cultural mapping carried out in Phnom Penh, Vientiane and India by the University of Queensland in Australia.

The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination

The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination has invited ICOM to host a stand in the NGO Pavilion for six months. Not only was ICOM able to negotiate with the Bureau to obtain the stand free of charge, the Bureau also agreed to defray a portion of the expenses incurred by the event, such as creating, assembling and dismantling the stand, insurance, equipment, furniture and upkeep. This cooperation has enabled ICOM to enhance the prestige of the role of museums in the world, in particular through the exhibition entitled Museums : Heart of the City and numerous special events.

ICOM Foundation

The ICOM Foundation was established in 1965 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Its purpose is to stimulate patronage for ICOM and to raise awareness of the institution outside of strictly professional circles. The number of Friends of the Foundation rose constantly between 2007 and 2009. Their dues have contributed to the funding of ICOM’s operating budget, more specifically to the publication and circulation of ICOM News, grant programmes and International Museum Day.

Eudonet SA

Eudonet is a French group that is active in France and North America. It is a major customer relationship management software provider. When ICOM launched an invitation to tender to choose a service provider tasked with supplying a new database, it was impressed by the quality of Eudonet’s services. This encounter led the company, which won the contract, to propose part of its services in the form of patronage in skills. The Eudonet group became ICOM’s first patron in skills and, by acting in its own field of excellence, has helped foster exchanges within the museum community, ultimately contributing to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.

French Department of Museums

Since 1995, the French Department of Museums has supported ICOM’s mission by housing part of its documentary resources and ensuring its visibility in its library located in the Rue des Pyramides in Paris.

Are you a foundation, company, organisation or public institution? Do you wish to collaborate with ICOM on one of its programmes in France or in another country? Would you like to know more about our projects?

In supporting ICOM, you too can act in favour of the world’s heritage and museums by providing donations, in-kind patronage or capacity-sharing. Contact us and help ICOM develop its activities!